Frost and Bones: The Story of Maggottail
by Iceclawrei
Summary: Born to a WindClan she-cat and a ShadowClan tom, a litter of three young kits are affected by their mother's dark family history when one is chosen to follow in the path of darkness. Watch the ringleader of the Dark Forest go from conflicted kit to evil tyrant. (sorry, I'm really bad at captions)


It was the dead of leaf-bare.

A young, lean, white she-cat padded slowly against the harsh winds, blending in with the snow that covered the moor ground in troves.

Her sharply intelligent blue eyes paused as she glanced over the quiet, dark moor.

"StarClan?" She murmured. Stars were spread across the night sky in a smear. One glowed a faint red. She watched it intently.

But it sputtered out.

She sighed angrily, her wispy tail lashing. She gripped the floor with her claws as a fresh wave of nausea slammed into her. She lurched, and laid down onto the ground, her body going into spasms, her vision turning red.

 _Please! What did I ever do to deserve this?_

"You know what you did." The voice behind her made her jump. It was a sound that echoed along the moor, and made her shiver.

She gritted her teeth and turned bravely.

She turned and stared into cold blue eyes like her own, yet a million times more rigid.

They belonged to a tall, lanky, and lean white tomcat. He was the mirror image of the she-cat. She felt no shock at the sight of him, only anger and regret. Fur quivering, she stood her ground, glaring back with as much malice as she could bring up into her expression.

The tom purred. "You always looked just like me." He stepped forward to better look at the she-cat, who curled her lip.

"You're dead, Frozenpelt. You've been dead." She spat. The wind grew colder, and she fluffed her pelt.

The tom purred even more, shaking his head. "Oh, Cloudcleft. I'm a legend. Haven't you heard?" He leaned closer as he continued, an edge of insanity biting his words. "Legends never die."

"You're insane, father. You aren't a legend- you're a murderer." Cloudcleft hissed, backing away. "You're a liar, a terrible father-"

Frozenpelt cut off his daughter. He slammed her into the floor, her aching stomach burning as she hit the frozen dirt. He bit her ear, and she screeched furiously as she kicked him off, her strong legs catapulting him. She reared up onto him, slashing his back and bouncing a pawstep back to avoid a blow.

She aimed a strong paw at his neck, but he neatly caught it in his mouth, swinging her around. She dug her hind paws into the icy ground, and hammered him with the other paw until he let go.

They stood bleeding and panting.

"So sloppy." Frozenpelt muttered. "You say all this, and you can't even beat me in a fight. Then again, you shouldn't be fighting when you're pregnant."

Shock hit Cloudcleft's brain. _How did he know?_ "How did you...?"

Frozenpelt rolled his eyes and snorted. "You don't think I've ever seen a pregnant queen before? Sunk my claws into one? Seen how they react to things... how they feel..." He purred maniacally.

Cloudcleft stared at him. "You're crazy as a rabid fox, Frozenpelt. You have no place in my life after what you did."

"She deserved it!" Frozenpelt hissed, suddenly furious. "She deserved it! You don't know how many terrible things she did!"

"You're one to talk." Cloudcleft muttered. She lashed her tail again. "At least she didn't kill an innocent queen."

Frozenpelt closed his eyes. He shook his head. "You think she didn't help me? You think those claw marks were all mine? There's a reason I hated your mother, and she hated me. There were too many similarities..."

"Mother would never have killed one of her kits. But you... you're not above doing that." Cloudcleft spat.

Frozenpelt's mood flipped again. He gazed at his daughter sadly. "She needed to die. You don't understand."

"Our family has a problem..." He whispered. "An insanity... it runs in our veins as the rabbits run in the moors."

Cloudcleft flexed her claws. She lashed her tail again. The snow now reflected on her pelt. She glistened, for a moment becoming one with the snow. Suddenly, she purred softly. "It doesn't run in my veins, you fool. It never did. You have no control over me."

She turned away, her wispy tail creating a trail in the snow as she trudged away slowly.

"I may not have control over you, you rebellious kit. But I know of a future for your kits." Frozenpelt muttered hoarsely. Cloudcleft still did not turn.

"Ice will freeze you! Ice will freeze you all! You will die colder than the blue of my eyes, you mouse brained idiot!" He now shrieked. But the snowy tundra swallowed up his daughter, and he was alone in the night, staring off into the empty, lifeless moor. It was just him and the frost.

He laid down on the ground, looked up at the sky until the stars singed his eyes, and quietly whispered. "I just wish for so many things."

And his body disintegrated into shadow, and he was no more.

 **(several moons later)**

"Push, Cloudcleft!" The tabby she cat spat into her face. Cloudcleft looked up at her, feeling nothing but pain in her chest. She'd been giving birth since sunrise, and now it was sunset. She could feel the kit lodged within her.

"I'm trying, Whisperhawk!" Cloudcleft hissed back. _Fox dung!_ She thought angrily. _Will you kits ever be out?_ She felt something fall out of her, and she trembled. _Holy StarClan. That's my kit. My little ball of fluff._ She felt a sudden pang of love and looked over at the kit. It was pale gray, with faded speckles. It was a she-cat, with a long tail for her size. Love swelled up even more in Cloudcleft's heart.

Another stab of pain hit her, and she pushed again. Yet again, something fell out. She scented the air and checked. A tom, now. He was white, with large gray splotches. He was huge. _Just like his father._ A sweep of pride hit her. And then, more pain. _There's more?!_

And the last one came out. He was pure white. Whisperhawk started licking the kits immediately to get them to warm up, and Cloudcleft leaped up to do the same, still pained and tired, but happier than she had been for seasons.

The other medicine cat ran in. Juniperfoot stopped in shock and pleasure. "Two toms and a she-kit! They're beautiful!" Her soft blue eyes lit up with happiness. Cloudcleft felt a tug on her heart at seeing her mother's sister. Juniperfoot was the kindest she-cat she knew. Uneasily, she wondered what she would think if she knew the truth: that her kits were half ShadowClan.

Cloudcleft looked them over again. Thankfully, they looked WindClan through and through. And hopefully, no cat would find the courage to ask who their father was. They did not have to know who he was. Cloudcleft nearly wished she could tell them of him, though. His name was Silverstorm, and he was surely the greatest cat to live.

She sighed as she let her pelt lie flat. She was done giving birth. But she remembered the promise Silverstorm had made her keep. She could imagine seeing the sturdy, handsome gray tom next to her, as happy as she was.

But she didn't want him to have any of them. _They belong here,_ she thought as she watched Juniperfoot and Whisperhawk check and warm the kits, _they belong in WindClan._

Whisperhawk looked up at Cloudcleft, excitement for her friend in her eyes. "What are you going to name them?" Cloudcleft looked at the kits in the waning greenleaf sunlight. Pink light softened their wet fur and tiny faces. They were beginning to mewl.

"The she-cat will be Sagekit," She meowed decidedly. "The gray and white tom is Graykit." The light continued to wane as she pondered. Whisperhawk looked delighted with the names, and patiently waited for the final name.

Cloudcleft looked at the last kit, the white tom. He looked exactly like her father. Suddenly she blurted out. "And his name will be Icekit."

Whisperhawk looked excited. It was her first litter she had delivered, and it had gone relatively smoothly. She had every right to be happy. Juniperfoot looked at her young apprentice. "You look like you might explode," Juniperfoot purred. "Go and tell Patchstar." Whisperhawk rushed off.

Juniperfoot padded over and sat next to Cloudcleft as the kits began to suckle.

"I wish your mother were here,"the older she-cat meowed sorrowfully. "But she is watching us now." Cloudcleft hoped that she looked sincere as she answered. "I miss her more and more every day. Look, Graykit has a bright pink nose like her!"

Juniperfoot purred again as she looked over. "How wonderful! Cloudcleft, you'll make a great mother. I just have a message for you." Her eyes darkened slightly.

"I know who their father is," she whispered. Cloudcleft's eyes widened in shock and terror. "How-?"

"Nevermind how I know," her kin retorted softly. "But be careful with them. These kits will be of the highest caliber, and of the lowest dirt. Do not let them be affected by this history of yours." An unnerving gold glittered in her usual blue eyes. "And you must keep your promise to him, young one."

Cloudcleft circled her tail around her children. "You can't take them," she murmured hoarsely. "They're all I have here."

Juniperfoot looked at her sharply. "You have a very accepting clan full of kind cats. You have so much here. Stop being dramatic," she meowed with an edge of anger. Her voice softened a little as she went on. "Trust me, Cloudcleft. I see what is in store for them. So much potential." Juniperfoot's eyes glowed even more gold, and her pupils became slits.

Thoroughly anxious about her kits, and exhausted from the days events, Cloudcleft had no idea what to say. "Just let me sleep, Juniperfoot. I'll give you my answer in the morning." She laid her head on her soft nest. Juniperfoot gave her a long look, and walked away slowly.

Cloudcleft felt a rush of unseasonable cold, suddenly. But she did not open her eyes. She knew who was there, and knew she could not stop him.

She heard a squeal as the cold breath of Frozenpelt hit one of her kits, and she struggled to open her eyes. Terror crashed down on her. This could not happen. Not again. But her eyes were sealed, her paws stone, and nothing in the world could've lifted her up.

She was suddenly stuck in dizzying darkness, and she saw no more.

 **Hey guys, it's Rei. I'm sorry if it's a bit sloppy, this is my first true story. I've wanted to write about Maggottail for some time now, as he's such an interesting character. Where did he come from? Where did he go? (Where did he come from, Cotton-eyed Joe? heh. sorry I had to.)**

 **But yeah. R &R :) thanks everybody. Also, if you want me to write in your character, send me their descriptions because I need names/ideas for background characters and such. Thank you so so much :D**


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